Olive St. Studios live in an 8,000-square-foot warehouse converted into a mishmash of eclectic studios, impromptu gathering spaces and a random gallery seething with art crossing the media spectrum. Eleven artists lease the space on Ottawa Street, overlooking the Maumee River at the base of the west side of the High Level Bridge.

Established in 1990 on Olive Street, the studios moved Downtown in 2000 when the East Side building changed hands. Brain Juchartz acts as a leader for what he said is “more like a commune.”

“Brian is the person who might be in charge because he collects the rent money. He is the one who signs the lease. We function as a co-op. Nobody’s really in charge. We come and go as we please. We work independently and as a group,” long time group member Jessica Besterman said.

The group is planning a Fourth of July festival, with food, drinks, exhibits and live music starting about 5 p.m. The cover charge will include parking, a benefit as the studio is a great location to see the fireworks.“What we’re trying to do is generate some awareness. Stay within the ebb and flow of the art scene,” Juchartz said. “We hold these events for patrons of the arts and enthusiast. We put on a show and a visual arts show. It’s an art exhibit with a party twist.”

The group wants the party to rival its annual Big Head Ball.

“Our main event that really draws a crowd is the Big Head Ball. It is near Halloween, it is sort of like a costume party. This year we want to make it a two-night event. The first night will be a gallery opening and more sophisticated and the second night will be the party,” Besterman said.

Besterman works in oil on canvas. Her paintings, as big as three feet by four feet, use aggressive strokes. The highly contrasting colors create depth. Generally, her work has a main figure with oversized eyes, following and tugging at viewers. Closer inspection reveals important background details that add to the paintings’ emotion.

Juchartz is creating high-tech wood burnings. He uses a slightly modified commercial laser printer to produce detailed relief figures. The small grooves create shadows so the images vary as viewers move. The wood grain adds another dimension to the effect.

Brad Bechtal also uses a naturally grained surface in his current work. He is creating subtle and shaded graphite drawings on polished marble. He said the hardest part is not wiping off your own work. The graphite barely sticks to the marble so the finished product is displayed under glass.

Even though the studios do not have regular business hours, the group is seen as an important part of the Toledo art scene.

“They are a really strong group of artists. They were one of the first collective groups working Downtown. They have been a force in contributing to the vitality of Downtown and the art community,” Mark Folk, executive director of the Toledo Arts Commission, said. “They were the home of the first Meet and Greet in the fall 2004.”

In 1977, Marcia and Bill Russell began their carpet cleaning company with one employee, steaming equipment and plenty of fliers. Thirty years later, they have since managed to succeed in carpet cleaning despite competition from well-known national steamers.

“We liked the idea of servicing people,” co-owner Marcia Russell said. “It’s an idea we could build along. The main thing is we wanted to work with people.”

Today, St. Lawrence Carpet Cleaning Inc. has 12 employees and thousands of residential and corporate clients, including Charlie’s Dodge and the Toledo Hilton hotel. The Russells said their personal touch has helped them succeed despite well-publicized national carpet steamers.

“We call the majority of our customers after the job to make sure everything is OK, and if there’s a problem, we’ll go back to take care of it,” Marcia said.

Bill agreed. He said he and his wife’s company has built trust with its clients. Most clients are repeat customers or referrals, Bill said.

“With us being on the job, they’re getting a more personal relationship with us and they feel more confident with us,” Bill said.

Marcia said part of building customer trust is never straying from a quote, unless previously warning a client the cost may change depending on circumstances.

“We’d rather take a loss on the job than to have a dissatisfied customer,” Marcia said.

After three decades, the husband and wife still work out of their Toledo home. They said they are happy with the progress of their homegrown company.

“There are some things we could’ve done better, but overall, we’ve raised six kids with our [business], and we’ve put them through private school. I think we’ve done well,” Bill said.

The couple said another component to any business’ success, including their own, is hard work.

“To succeed in business, you have to be willing to work a lot of hours, especially when you first start a business,” Marcia said.

Toledo’s American Institute of Architects chapter is celebrating the organization’s sesquicentennial this year by rolling up its sleeves for a good cause.

As part of the national AIA’s Blueprint for America service project, architects from the local chapter have teamed up with Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity, drafting new plans for Habitat homes and participating in the construction of one of the homes later this summer.

“[Habitat] came to us a couple of years ago asking for help on some things,” AIA member Kevin Costello, the project’s “chapter champion,” said. “So we thought this would be a prime opportunity to help.”

So far, chapter architects have redrawn seven existing Habitat house plans, and created three new ones.

One of the plans the architects worked on is already under construction, he said, and the Toledo plans could have applications well beyond the local community.

“All the Habitat branches share these home plans pretty freely,” Costello said, “so these homes could very well be used by other Habitat organizations.”

Toledo AIA members are also sponsoring a build later this summer. The group has donated $3,000 toward the cost of the house, and will be providing volunteer labor for one weekend of the project.

The house will be built on Colchester Street in Oregon for the Richard and Patricia Wilson family.

While the group’s sesquicentennial has drawn attention to the AIA’s current service project, the Toledo chapter has long been contributing to the community, said Paul Sullivan, AIA Toledo’s immediate past president.

“When you look at it, our members are serving on planning commissions, historic district commissions; any number of things that make us very involved in the community,” he said.

Another example is the chapter’s design competition for high school students, the longest running AIA-affiliated competition of its kind.

“It’s been going on for 57 years,” Sullivan said. “It’s been recognized nationally as a really excellent program.”

According to the national AIA, 156 service projects will be completed around the country this year as part of Blueprint for America, and members hope they’ll bring attention to the importance of architecture and the impact of the built environment on people’s lives.

“Yes, we’re celebrating our anniversary,” Sullivan said. “But we’re about doing a lot of things that, I think, are good for everybody.”

Real estate foreclosures are at an all-time high. If you’re in danger of falling behind on your mortgage, it’s important to know what lies ahead. The faster you move, the more choices you’ll likely have regarding your financial future.

The trouble starts when you miss the first payment.

Lenders might not call until you’ve missed the second one, but you can figure that it will certainly affect your credit score, not to mention the late-fee penalties lenders usually tack on. Each late payment thereafter lowers your score even more, making it harder and more costly to get a loan or refinance to help your situation.

If payments aren’t made, the lender files a “notice of default,” and you’ll get a letter that says make good on the payments or else the foreclosure process starts. Once that happens, your options dwindle.

From the notice of default, borrowers typically have 90 days to make up the deficit before receiving a “notice of sale,” which sets an auction sale date for the house, usually within the next 30 days.

So how do you get out of this mess? First off, know you’re not alone. Tough financial times are most often associated with losing a job, a spouse, getting sick or divorced. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps. Start budgeting.

Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.

Contact your lender and ask for help. People avoid doing this and mistakenly believe that if lenders know the borrower’s in trouble, the loan will immediately be put into foreclosure. Generally, banks don’t want to mess with court proceedings, auctions and local laws. They just want their money paid in full with interest.

Sometimes finding the right people to talk to can be challenging. It’s also easy to get lost in the lender’s bureaucracy. Initially, you’re likely dealing with the collections department, which may offer one option: pay up now.

You may eventually need to talk with the folks in the “loss mitigation” department. Lenders usually don’t route borrowers there until after they’ve missed several payments, but it may be the best way to help you arrange for repayment. It could mean they help to get you refinanced or waive late fees.

They may even give you more time to catch up on other debts.

Another option is calling a Realtor to help you sell quickly. They could help you negotiate a short sale, where you essentially sell the house for whatever you can get.

The lender agrees to accept the proceeds and forgives the rest of the debt. Note, however, that you may be taxed for the amount forgiven as income. This will also affect your credit score, but not as harshly as a foreclosure would.

Beware of scam artists out there. If they promise to wipe out your debt or pay off your home, many flustered homeowners bite. Just remember the free lunch rule: There isn’t one.

Jody Zink is a licensed Realtor in Ohio & Michigan with the Loss Realty Group. She can be reached at (419) 725-1881 or through her Web site at www.JodyZinkRealtor.com.

Like many 8-year-olds this summer, Nicole Herndon will attend summer camp. But not just one. While she’s already finished a swimming camp, she’ll soon attend one for ballet, one for gymnastics and yet another just for children with type 1 diabetes. In addition to her list of camps, Herndon will spend her busy summer vacation working tirelessly to accomplish one major goal: finding a cure for type 1 diabetes for herself and the more than 3 million other Americans who suffer from it.

Herndon was in Washington D.C. accompanied by her mother Janette from June 17-20 to help push her vision. As a delegate of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s biennial Children’s Congress, she was one of more than 150 youth from 50 states and six nations who convened in the nation’s capital. The delegates, who all suffer from type 1 diabetes, assembled to encourage the federal government to increase funding for research. Delegates as young as 6 testified in Senate hearings. While there, Herndon met others with the chronic debilitating disease, spent time with celebrities who have also made finding a cure their goal and met with legislators to lobby on behalf of the JDRF.

Herndon was a guest in the offices of Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio’s ninth district and Ohio senator Sherrod Brown. When asked if she was nervous about the meetings, Herndon said, “No, I was happy.”

She said she already has plans to return at the next JDRF Children’s Congress in 2009. Although she enjoyed the sights of the city and a concert on the Capitol Lawn, Herndon said the time she spent there wasn’t a field trip or a vacation. Instead she described it as “A really important job.”

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables the body to get energy from food. The disease requires multiple blood tests and insulin injections every day and people with type 1 diabetes must constantly be prepared for life-threatening low or high blood-sugar levels. Janette Herndon said her daughter took an aggressive and determined stance from the very beginning.

Just two months after she was diagnosed, Janette Herndon said, Nicole had begun self-treatments. She described waking up one morning to find Nicole’s diabetic bag lying open on the bed.

“You were sleeping and I didn’t want to wake you up,” Nicole told her mother. Janette Herndon said Nicole has been that proactive ever since.

Herndon has made radio and television commercials for diabetes awareness and been interviewed by television stations. She is featured on JDRF postcards and in JDRF literature. As a result of her work in Washington, Herndon will address her school on type 1 diabetes and make appearances at summer camps and before other groups.

Janette Herndon said her daughter is always saying, “We have to do this, Mommy, we have to find a cure. We have to do this so other kids don’t have to go through what I have to.”

Herndon endures between five and seven finger sticks and four shots each day. Those will continue for the rest of her life — or until a cure is found.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur had another idea about Herndon’s future. She called the 8 year old a natural leader and described Herndon’s visit as “Aotouch of grace in our office. It was a pleasure to meet such a vision of the future,” Kaptur said. “I hope she will continue to represent those who need a voice, perhaps one day even working within the walls of this Capital.”

Armed with education and experience, David Bodner could have gone anywhere. He earned a graduate degree in international business from the University of South Carolina. He studied and worked in France. Ultimately, he returned to Toledo.

“It’s home. It’s a place I felt comfortable with,” he said.

At first, Bodner seemed destined to live in Europe. He traveled to France as a sophomore at St. Francis de Sales High School, then again during his junior year at the University of Dayton. After earning a bachelor’s degree in international relations, with a minor in economics and French, Bodner settled in Cincinnati and worked for Fidelity Investments for four years until he was ready for a new challenge. He relocated to South Carolina and began a Master’s in International Business. Part of the program included working abroad, and again, he returned to France. For a year, Bodner worked for Rhone-Poulenc as an internal auditor.

“I got to travel to their offices in other countries, but I was kind of the ‘bad guy,’ ” he said. “Being an auditor, they didn’t like to see me coming. It was a great experience, but it taught me that I really didn’t want to go into auditing. The work itself wasn’t too stimulating for me.”

The time overseas, he said, was a great learning experience.

“Any time you’re out of your normal comfort zone, not knowing how other people are going to react … it challenges you to do what you have to do to get things done,” he said.

Bodner earned his graduate degree and had anticipated moving back to Europe, but instead looked in his hometown for a job. He found one with Owens Corning.

“Looking back, it was one of the things that drew me back here and that’s certainly an asset for Toledo,” he said, “but along the way I had discovered a lot of things personally and professionally and that’s what kept me in Toledo. It’s a great community.”

For two years he worked in inside sales and customer service, primarily with the company’s Canadian division. Then he decided he would rather work for himself than for a large company.

Bodner returned to the financial world, this time as a financial planner at Seymour and Associates in Maumee, where he has been since 1998.

He counts the Toledo Museum of Art and the Toledo Lucas County Public Library system among the region’s assets, as well as “being at the doorstep of the Great Lakes.” A lower cost of living than many other cities and a lack of traffic are other advantages.

“You can get anywhere in this town in 20 to 30 minutes,” he said. “You can sit in traffic for 20 to 30 minutes in a lot of bigger cities.”

Bodner acknowledges there are things that could change for the better. One thing he would like to see is more support for Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner.

“He’s vocal and yes, he does make mistakes, but the important thing is he’s trying to make changes.” Bodner said, “I think so many people focus on the negatives and not on his initiatives, and we need to recognize that he is trying to initiate change.”

Bodner said Toledo’s manufacturing-based economy will need to adapt to grow. The question, he said, is whether businesses will simply react to change, or will try proactively to blaze new trails.

“I don’t think we should give up manufacturing because it’s always going to be a part of the area,” he said, “but at the same time, a lot of manufacturing is going overseas. You can’t fight all of that. You can fight some of it, but I think you almost have to reinvent yourself, and focus on your strengths.”

For 10 years, Bodner has served on the Board of Action for the Women’s Entrepreneurial Network (WEN), an organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting businesswomen and women-friendly businesses. Bodner said he believes entrepreneurs and small businesses are an “underappreciated fact” in Toledo.

“There are a lot of people trying to do their own thing and more power to them, because I think that’s going to be a model for the future,” he said.

Linda Fayerweather, co-director of WEN, said she agrees entrepreneurship could be the “saving grace” for Toledo. “The community needs to remember that Google started with just two guys and an idea,” she said, adding that more programs like Junior Achievement that educate young people about entrepreneurship would encourage the growth of the small business community.

Bodner said he believes many people are resistant to change, but change can also be an opportunity.

“Toledo has a lot of things going for it, but we can’t stop advancing; we can’t be set in our ways,” he said.

June 30-July 3 • 15th annual Salute to AmericaCelebrate Independence Day with fun, fireworks and patriotic music. The Walnut Grove historic district in Greenfield Village is transformed into a patriotic sea of red, white and blue as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra presents a magical program of American musical favorites. 6 p.m. June 30-July 3 at the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village, 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, Mich. $20 adult, $19 senior, $14 children ages 5-18 and free for younger children. For information, call (313) 982-6001 or (800) 835-5237.

July 1 • 4th of July CelebrationVisitors are invited to bring picnic baskets and join the McKinnis family and friends as they celebrate the nation’s independence. Pioneer children’s games and music will be featured. 1:30-4:30 p.m. July 1 at Litzenberg Memorial Woods, 6100 U.S. 224 W., Findlay. Free. (419) 425-7275 or www.hancockparks.com.

July 1 • Springfield-Holland Freedom CelebrationA classic car show and live music will be topped off with fireworks at 10. 4 p.m. July 1 at Community Homecoming Park, 7807 Angola Road, Holland. (419) 865-1859.

July 2 • Investigate PresidentsStudents from sixth to 12th grades can test their knowledge of our leaders. Those who can name them all will earn rewards. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. July 2-7 at Birmingham Branch Library, 203 Paine Ave. (419) 259-5210.

July 2 • Hurray for the Fourth of JulyTeens can celebrate the nation’s birthday by making a beaded safety-pin flag and a red, white, and blue treat. The program will end with and explosive demonstration of soda nucleation. 2 p.m. July 2 at the Waterville Branch Library, 800 Michigan Ave.,Waterville. Registration is required after June 25. (419) 878-3055.

July 2 • U.S. Army Field Band & Soldier’s Chorus The “musical ambassadors of the Army” will perform 7:30-9 p.m. July 2 at Clyde High School Auditorium, 1015 Race St., Clyde. Free tickets are available at The Clyde Enterprise. (419) 332-4470.July 2-4 • River Raisin Independence FestivalA big bands street dance will be held in downtown Monroe, Mich., along with an all-day blues concert and fireworks at Sterling State Park, 2800 State Park Road, Monroe. Also slated is the second annual Freedom Walk to Lake Erie. (800) 252-3011 or www.monroeinfo.com.

July 3 • Sylvania Star-Spangled Celebration The sounds of the season are the booming of fireworks and the simulcast patriotic music that accompanies this display. About 9:30 p.m. July 3 at Centennial Terrace and Pacesetter Park, Sylvania. $5. www.sylvaniarecreation.org

July 3 • Mystery Game Schoolchildren up to fifth grade will make games in a red, white and blue theme for the holiday. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. July 3 at Birmingham Branch Library, 203 Paine Ave. (419) 259-5210.

July 3 • Community Picnic & Fireworks ShowJohnnie Rodriquez will perform, children can play games, and there will be a fireworks display. 5-9 p.m. July 3 around Conant, Wayne and Dudley streets, Maumee. (419) 893-0792 or (419) 893-3256.

July 3 • Clyde Independence Day CelebrationGames will be the lead-in to the night’s celebration with fireworks. 6-10 p.m. July 3 at Clyde Community Park, Race Street, Clyde. (419) 332-4470.

July 3 • Clue in on Ice CreamSchoolchildren up to fifth grade can celebrate the 4th of July by shaking up their own ice cream. 2 p.m. July 3 at Maumee Branch Library, 501 River Road, Maumee. Registration is required after June 25. (419) 259-5360.

July 4 • The Capitol StepsThis troupe of former Congressional staffers puts the “mock” in democracy, leaving no issue unscathed. 5 and 8 p.m. July 4 at the Power Center for the Performing Arts, 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor, Mich. $26-$40. (734) 764-2538.

July 4 • Bowling Green Community FireworksThe city and BGSU coordinate to produce this show of partnership and pyrotechnics. 9:45 p.m. July 4 at BGSU’s intramural fields. (419) 353-7945.

July 4 • Green Springs Independence Day CelebrationA parade at 9 a.m., followed by a day of fun, capped off with fireworks at dark. July 4 at downtown Green Springs (July 7, in case of rain). (419) 332-4470.

July 4 • The Pharm Lights the Night Fireworks/FamilyFest A hands-on area for children features activities, musicians, jugglers and storytellers, rides (starting at 1 p.m.) and games; the Nu-Tones will perform at 7; and the day culminates in a pyrotechnic display at 10. July 4 in Promenade and Festival parks, along the Maumee River. www.citifest.org.

July 4 • Independence Day 1813Re-enactors will re-create the ceremony that took place in celebration of the time’s only national holiday (at 2 p.m.); noon-5 June 16-17 at Fort Meigs State Memorial, 29100 W. River Road, Perrysburg. Free. (419) 874-4121 or (800) 283-8916.

July 4 • Independence Day concertCivil War re-enactors will join the Toledo Symphony Concert Band in a concert of patriotic and popular tunes, including a performance of the “1812 Overture” featuring cannon-fire from Gillmor’s Light Artillery. 2-3:30 p.m. July 4 at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, Hayes and Buckland avenues, Fremont. Free; visitors are asked to bring seating. (419) 332-2081 or (800) 998-7737.

July 4 • Celebrate Freedom Learn about the battle that opened up the Northwest Territory to settlement and then walk through the tall grass prairie in bloom. 1-3:30 p.m. July 4 at Fallen Timbers Monument, Side Cut Metropark, 1025 River Road, Maumee. Free.July 4 • Fourth of July: 1876 CelebrationTake a ride aboard The Volunteer, tour the Isaac Ludwig Mill or shop in the General Store to celebrate centennial style. Blacksmithing, tinsmithing, woodcarving, candle making and more demonstrations and hands-on activities are planned. Noon-4 July 4 at Kimble’s Landing, Providence Metropark, 13827 U.S. 24 West (at SR 578), Grand Rapids. Free.

July 4 • Cedar Point FireworksThe skyline over “the Point” and Lake Erie will be filled with color. 10 p.m. July 4 on the beach in front of the Aquatic Stadium. Call (419) 627-2350 for details.

July 4 • Fremont Independence Day Parade and fireworksThe parade will begin at Birchard Park, 1400 Birchard Ave., and proceed to Rodger Young Park, at Front and Tiffin streets. 4 p.m. (parade) and dusk (fireworks) July 4 in downtown Fremont. (419) 332-4470.

July 4-6 • Toledo Mud Hens baseballThe Hens will play the Columbus Clippers on Independence Day and the Louisville Bats July 5-6; after the fireworks on the diamond, fans can stick around for some pyrotechnics in the sky. 7 p.m. July 4-6 at Fifth Third Field, 406 Washington St. $8. (419) 725-4367.

July 4-7 • Woodville’s Fourth of July HomecomingThis year marks the 65th anniversary of this patriotic party, which will feature rides, free stage shows, a parade, fireworks and more. All-day July 4-7 at Trailmarker Park, Cherry Street, Woodville. (419) 849-3080; (419) 849-2980 or www.woodville.net/fourth.

July 4-8 • Comerica CityFestThe former TasteFest now celebrates Motown, with the emphasis spread from just food to include entertainment, a street market and more. Performers are to include “Weird” Al Yankovic, Cheap Trick, Yo La Tengo, Lupe Fiasco, Spoon, 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. July 4-7 and 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. July 8. Free admission; 11 meal and drink tickets $7. www.comericacityfest.com.

While working as a truck driver in Arkansas last summer, Beavers’ vision deteriorated to the point where he could no longer do his job at night. He quickly found himself without a job.

Beavers arrived in Toledo in August without a job or place to stay. Homeless and unemployed, the 46-year-old stayed at the Salvation Army until late December.

With nowhere else to turn to, Beavers went to the United Way for help.

The agency’s 2-1-1 program directed him to food, clothing, transportation and other needed services.

“It was my turning point,” said Beavers, who now has his own apartment and a temporary job, of his experience with United Way. “That was when things started changing for the better.”

United Way 2-1-1 is one of several programs supported by the agency’s allocation of funds. The program will again receive nearly $150,000 in 2007-08 because of success stories like Beavers’.

During its next funding year that runs July 1 to June 30, 2008, United Way of Greater Toledo will invest $12.8 million in the community. Of the total investment, $8.57 million was devoted by volunteers to 120 programs in Lucas, Wood and Ottawa counties. The agency will distribute another $4.28 million based on donor designations to specific nonprofit organizations or groups.

The June 21 allocation announcement marked the second year of a three-year funding plan that focuses on programs for young children, children and teens and vulnerable families. The plan also designates money to be used on mobilizing the agency’s resources and connecting people to help.

Bill Kitson, United Way of Greater Toledo’s president and chief executive officer, said funding amounts remain nearly unchanged from last year, except for those designated to programs that were not reaching outlined 12-month goals or that were not following proper reporting procedures.

“This is about maintaining the plan,” Kitson said of the 2007-08 investments.

United Way withdrew funding from several agencies that provide mental health counseling because the Lucas County Mental Health and Recovery Services provides similar assistance, Kitson said.

“There is, in theory, no need for us to fund a similar service,” he said, noting United Way was “incredibly concerned” about withdrawing funding for those services because individuals have complained of long wait times in the Lucas County system.Kitson said it is important for United Way to have a good balance between its restricted and unrestricted dollars. He described the 2007-08 funds as being at a “fairly healthy” range when looking at those dollars that were designated to specific programs or nonprofits.

Perhaps the biggest challenge the organization faces is not raising funds, but spreading the word about how the dollars actually impact the communities they serve, Kitson said.

“We’ve been so consumed by the fund-raising strategy, most people associated us to giving money,” he said. “… The value we have in the community has to do with the money spent.

“It’s not about how much we raise, it’s about how many lives we change.”

Kitson said the United Way’s mission of changing lives has allowed it to attract a young and vibrant work force. He said the organization now strives for more lasting changes rather than a quick-fix approach for challenges communities face.“We just simply want to get better and we are getting better,” Kitson said.